jpau

Citigroup (C) wins an IRS decision to forgo billions of dollars in taxes to help the bank repay its TARP loans. Tax law limits the transfer of previous losses to new ownership, a condition triggered by the government's sale of its 34% stake in Citi combined with Citi's share sales. The IRS ruling (.pdf) stipulates that the government's share sale does not count toward the definition of an ownership change.

This is, in a word, disgusting. I just have nothing else

Murphy's Law of Economics and Health Care

This makes sense to me, however I would add that IMO no person or family should be bankrupted by the cost of healthcare. Families should not have their savings or retirement plans wiped out, nor lose their homes to pay for catastrophic illnesses. Copay sure, but with an annual out-of-pocket maximum based on income.


On Oct 26 12:03 PM John Lounsbury wrote:

> Geoffster - - -
>
> I may be in a small minority. I believe health care is a right and
> a responsibility. Let me elaborate:
>
> Every individual has a responsibility to pay for their health care.
> They have a right to access, but they must pay. There are low income
> and no income people who should get government support, but in a
> way that they are clearly contributing payment. That is the basis
> of my attempts to generate ideas that I believe maximize access but
> produces individual financial involvement in order to control costs.
>
>
> Let the poor go uncared for? If they were animals, it would be a
> crime called animal cruelty by reason of neglect.
>
> This is where I

Cramer's Stop Trading! HMOs Are Terminally Ill (9/30/09)

I find it funny that UNH and WLP dropped on news that the Baucus bill will save money. Even Bill Maher called the bill a bj to the big insurance companies. I know there will be lots of volatility, but in the end I am relying on the democrats proven ability to sell out and/or fail whenever backbone is required - and passing real reform would take lots of backbone.

Benefiting from Wal-Mart's Lows

I have a question. If the dollar continues to tank, if China no longer pegs the yuan to the dollar, or if oil is traded in another currency, or all the above; what would that do to Walmart's business model of importing cheap goods from China?

Peter Schiff vs. the Fed

The truth? Let me translate. When Peter says that the government has to stop regulating so we can build factories here again, he wants no minimum wage, no health care, no OSHA, no workman's comp - hey, bring the sweatshops back.

GM CEO 'Steps Down': Scapegoating Has Begun

Scapegoating? Are you serious? Who has been in charge of GM for the last 8 years? Yes, they had problems when he took over, but he's had 8 years to show that he can effectively fix them and obviously, he has failed on a colossal scale. Not only that, he flies to D.C., with no plan and no hard numbers and expects Congress to just write him a blank check. Next to go should be the board, IMO they should be forced to return any compensation they ever received.

Attention SEC: Sirius Trading Issues

Will this ever end??? the real problem with SIRI's stock price hasn't been, nor is it now, short sellers. SIRI stock price is pathetically low because of huge debt and dilution of the common.

For simplicity, I've left out the lousy economy, the auto sales freefall, the 1.7% monthly churn, etc.

The SIRI fanboy 'shortsellers are hurting my stockprice' conspiracy theory formula:

Pile of debt (XM) + Pile of debt (SIRI) + dilution to deal with bondholders + 40% dilution to Liberty = low stock price due to short sellers

Please explain your math...

Atlas Pipelines: I'm Out of Here

Skip, will you be holding ATN? What is your perception there? I cannot tell if they are being punished for APL's sins, or if it has to do with them not being fully hedged next year.

Fuel Systems Solutions: Time to Load Up

What's the great mystery. This company was probably as vulnerable as any company could be to a complete collapse in the price of oil. Add to that the reduction in both capex and consumer spending, and it's no surprise that FSYS has been crushed. I would hardly call it inexcusable, unless one can show that the majority of the market saw this crash coming.

Sirius Is Now Every Broker's Dream

Wow, what a happy sunshine article. All news will be good news. We can all expect buy ratings to come in soon. Do we get free lollipops and balloons too?

Yes, Sirius enjoys the very good position of being the only satellite radio provider. However, they still have lots of debt beyond 2009, they still haven't made money, auto sales are in the toilet, and their churn rate is 1.7 percent per month. Can they make it? Absolutely they can, but the future is sure as hell not as assured as this article would lead one to believe.

Atlas Pipeline Partners: A Painful Lesson in MLP Investing

Perhaps Marc or SkininCA can shed light on this, but if I understand this correctly, are the assets APL is attempting to shed, are they the assets most related to NGLs? Perhaps they are trying to migrate their strategy toward piping the bounty of gas that ATN is finding?


On Mar 06 10:51 AM Bruce909 wrote:

> The elephant in all of these natural gas companies is the big increases
> coming in imports of LNG to the east coast during the years ahead.
> How will this coming threat of low price imports affct APL. I have
> been watching APL for two years now but have not purchased yet.
> Any ideas?

Atlas Pipeline Partners: A Painful Lesson in MLP Investing

I guess that would explain APL bringing in Dubay. Does this guy have what it takes to turn APL around?

Atlas Pipeline: Hang in There

Tim

More questions - could you expound on which assets APL is selling, and are they giving up vital pieces or expendable ones?

Also, I looked at ATLS' transcript and I haven't seen much more on the idea of combining AHD and APL, ala MMP. Do you think they are still considering this?

Atlas Pipeline: Hang in There

Tim

Why do you think ATN is getting so hammered this week?

Sirius Lessons in Stock Manipulation

I must be missing something. When a short seller covers, he or she buys stock, correct? How, with the gazillion shares of Sirius that exist, could anyone buying blocks of 100 shares keep share price down????

This article makes no sense. Sirius' stock price is low because they diluted the common to the point of homeopathy.